Chapter 88: Omen
“Sir, are you a family member of the patient? Visiting is not allowed in the intensive care unit.”
The hospital corridor was long, narrow, and deserted. The gray and white tones filled the space, as if the road under his feet were gradually narrowing, and at the end, it became a narrow opening that was not allowed to pass.
He was so uncomfortable that he couldn’t breathe. It was as if a heavy hammer were pressing on his chest, and he couldn’t breathe. The sweaty hair on his forehead was wet and sticky. He was still wearing the dirty coat he had worn at the construction site, and the tank top inside was soaked with sweat and was clinging to his skin. He was as pathetic as a homeless person.
The medical staff stopped him. He looked so dusty that he really didn’t look like he was here to visit a patient.
“I… where is Wu Yong? I’m looking for him. I’m from his construction site…”
“He was admitted last night, but the patient’s current condition does not allow for visitors. His family is also here, in the lounge over there.”
The nurse pointed to the end of the corridor. Su Yu vaguely said thank you and ran over. He pushed open the door of the lounge and was suddenly stunned. His rapid breathing was suppressed and was rushing in his chest. He suppressed the chaotic and messy thoughts in his heart, which were like weeds after spring, and slowed down his steps.
There was only one woman in the lounge, with a scarf wrapped around her head. Her skin was a little dark, and her skin was rough and wrinkled. One could tell at a glance that she had probably been working in the fields all year round.
The woman was leaning on the armrest of the hard chair and was drowsy. She was holding a little girl in her arms, who was curled up in the woman’s arms and was fast asleep. Su Yu was familiar with the girl’s appearance. She was seven or eight tenths similar to the one in Wu Yong’s phone. It was just that she was a little taller, and her features had also opened up a lot, and she was more and more like her father.
He lowered his steps and walked over. There were not many people in the lounge in the morning. He walked up to the woman with apprehension.
“I’m… a worker under Wu Yong. How is he?”
The woman was startled and lowered her head. Her head hit the armrest of the chair. She opened her tired and uneasy eyes and slowly raised them. When she got closer, the face under the scarf looked even older. There were fine lines on her face, and the corners of her eyes were red, with tear stains.
“Yong, he…”, the woman looked at him for a few moments. Perhaps she had not been able to hold on for a long time. She was choking, but she tried her best to suppress her voice, worried about waking up the child in her arms. “The doctor said he almost died. There were so many cuts. His bones were broken. The photos were all covered in blood…”
“I brought the child from my hometown in the middle of the night. He was awake for a while then. He insisted on pulling out the needle and leaving. The construction site had withheld the money and had not paid. So he had paid the other workers’ wages. The family really has no money left…”
The woman was almost crying so hard that she couldn’t speak in the end. She held the child in her arms tightly. “We’re still waiting for this project payment to pay for my baby’s surgery. The baby is clamoring to go to school. But if this heart disease is not treated, how can she go to school? It’s the New Year. How could this happen?”
Su Yu suddenly felt that he couldn’t breathe. It was as if his throat had been choked. He lowered his neck, and his scattered bangs cut the scene in front of him into pieces.
His thin, red lips were bitten until they bled. His tightly pursed lips slowly parted, but he couldn’t find his own voice. He couldn’t speak. He stood there in a daze for a long time. He searched in his pocket for a long time but couldn’t find the bank card he had brought. In the end, he found that it had fallen into his trouser leg from his pocket.
“I have money. I have it…”
He murmured to himself, not knowing who he was comforting. He grabbed his trouser leg and pulled out the bank card. But his trembling fingertips could only make the card move up at a turtle’s pace. He was suddenly a little anxious. He wanted to vent something and pulled open the patch on his trouser leg. The poor-quality pants that the construction site had issued had suddenly split along his calf, and the bank card had fallen out.
“I… I’ll go and pay the medical bills first. It will be fine…”
His voice stopped again, and he suddenly couldn’t continue. He couldn’t always lie to himself, or easily believe others’ comfort. He didn’t believe it himself. What could he use to convince others?
…
“Sir, this card is not enough…”
“Not enough? Then…”.
Su Yu took the card that Gu Chuan had given him to live on. He fumbled in his pocket and took out the double wages that Wu Yong had given him before he had left. He then took out a few scattered bills from his pocket, which was full of holes, and handed them to the counter. “This is all I have. I’ll go and make a phone call to borrow some money. I’ll be quick. Wait for me…”
He was in a mess, but he was not willing to be idle for a moment. He dialed Gu Chuan’s number. He was squatting at the entrance of the hospital, his face full of fatigue. The ringtone had been ringing in his ear for a long time, but it had never been connected. They had clearly been in contact a few days ago. Why had he suddenly disappeared like this?
He was not willing to give up. The sweat on his palm had made the screen a mess. He had dialed over and over again like this. But the phone line was as if it had been cut and could not be reconnected. His heart had fallen from a high altitude, but it had not yet reached the bottom. It was still hanging on to him, tormenting him, like a cruel backlash…
A human-shaped shadow suddenly covered him. He looked up in a daze and saw Old San’s appearance. Purple bruises were all over his dark and simple face, and his right eye was still swollen. He smiled at him with the corners of his mouth, which had not yet been wiped clean of blood. It was so ugly that it was almost impossible to tell that it was a smile.
Old San took out a stack of money wrapped in newspaper from his tattered pocket and gave it to him. The big and burly man had not changed his expression even when he had been cut with a steel wire. But at this moment, his face was covered with water, and his cry was hoarse.
“I’m sorry, boss. I didn’t get the money back. This is my own money, and I’ve also collected some from everyone. See if it’s enough. If not, I’ll go back and get some more.”
Su Yu took the money with hesitation and stared at Old San.
“But didn’t you want to save money? To build a house…”
“Hah, I was just pretending to be cool. I’m not good-looking, and my family is poor. Even if I build a house, she won’t be interested in me. It seems that she’s getting married in a few months. A guy who works with equipment in the city… I’ve seen him once. The wallet on his waist is so swollen that it’s about to overflow. It’s full of money.”
“Hurry up, hurry up. I’m so sorry for this. This has nothing to do with you. I’m not educated, and I don’t understand the hospital’s system. Just do me a favor. We’re not brothers for nothing.”
Old San forcefully stuffed the money into Su Yu’s hand and pulled him up from the ground and into the hospital. He watched as he slowly walked in as if he had lost his soul, and then he waved his hand and shouted in his broken voice, “Hurry up and pay the money. I’ll come and see the boss tomorrow. I’ll go back and pack up first. I’ll leave tomorrow and get ready to go home for the New Year. It’s a pity for my old parents. They won’t have any money to take back for the New Year.”
Su Yu turned around and looked at the strong and powerful back, which was hunched over and leaving. The money in his hand was held tightly.
It had never gotten better. Everyone was not doing well.
